Quick recipe. Sure-fire Bechamel Sauce

Depending on the application, you can thin the bechamel with some more milk.

Bechamel sauce is one of the 5 Mother sauces of classic French cuisine. Mother sauce basically means it’s pretty important and that all other variations of a (French) sauce can be traced back to one of the five bases. A bechamel is creamy, rich and decadent, it works wonders when something sharp is added to it, like mustard or cheese and goes really well with baked dishes. A bechamel is a fundamental component of a traditional lasagna (as well as many other baked pasta dishes) and adds sin to usually healthy baked vegetables. The essential thing about a bechamel is to ensure it is silky smooth (absolutely no lumps) and that the flour is cooked through before the addition of the milk. Below is the recipe.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2.5 tbsp of butter

2 tbsp of flour

2 cups of milk

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat, add the flour in gradually, whisking well as you do. Cook the butter and flour mixture for about 5 minutes, whisking as you do, until it turns a nice golden sandy colour, it’s basically right at the point where the smells from the saucepan start becoming really good (glorious really). Add the milk in gradually, again whisking as you do (whisk well to make sure you annihilate all lumps!), reduce the heat and then leave to cook for another 5-7ish minutes until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency and season with salt and pepper. And there you have it, easy and guaranteed tasty bechamel sauce.